Plans have been submitted to build two separate shopping precincts in the rapidly growing Northern Beaches suburb.

Small Sydney developer Balito Investments plans to build a three-storey, mixed-use retail and service complex at North Curl Curl, home to one of Sydney’s best surfing beaches, 19km north-east of the central business district.

There are five commercial premises planned on the ground floor, three independent apartments for seniors and eight apartments on the upper floors, consisting of two, three or four bedrooms.

The spatial development plan for the plot at 142-146 Pitt Road also assumes the combination of the plots covered by the plan into one building plot with a total area of ​​1,299 square metres.

The site is currently occupied by a two-story, mixed-use commercial building.

According to the planning application, the project is “suitably located close to facilities, services and public transport” to provide “a form of accommodation that is ideally suited to the needs of older or disabled people living in the area”.

According to architects Warren and Mahoney, the project represents “an elegant blend of retail and commercial uses with high-quality residential units that provides a harmonious relationship between built form and landscape.”

▲ Rendering of the North Curl Curl proposal. The population of the Northern Beaches grew by 1.7 per cent last year to almost 270,000.

Meanwhile, an application has been submitted to register another retail-focused development in Avalon Beach, for a site at 1-3 Careel Head Road, approximately 19km north of the North Curl Curl site.

The block is on the site of the Careel Head Road shopping centre, which will be demolished to make way for the new development.

The building was designed by CD Architects and its creator is Jonathan Odiso of FourJs Group. Retail is planned for the ground floor and a 60-bed nursery on the first floor.

Four retail outlets are set to be built under plans currently in the hands of Northern Beaches Council. One is to be a Dan Murphy’s liquor store, but it won’t be a typical big-box retail outlet, but a boutique booze shop.

The nursery will accommodate children up to five years of age.

According to the building permit application, the facility provides 3.25 m2 of indoor play area per child and 7 m2 of outdoor play space per child.

The development will “positively contribute to improving local shopping and services” in an area “well suited to regeneration, taking advantage of its accessibility and proximity to residential areas, together with significant sports infrastructure”.

The Northern Beaches has experienced significant development in recent years.

In the first quarter of this year, the median home price in the area was $495,000, while the median condo price was $360,000, a year-on-year increase of 10 percent, according to PRD Data.

Overall home sales rose by 17.1% during the same period, while apartment sales rose by 16.7%, reflecting strong demand for both types of property.